Bowling ball and pin handling mechanism



De 15. 1 J. J. M GI NLEY 2,662,770

BOWLING BALL AND PIN HANDLING MECHANISM Filed May 9. 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet l 7% 36 FIG. I 44 42 1' 74 40. .6 2 7' 80 ll. .b ---/46 I Fm W'H ii [2 49 [w INVENTOR 10 10a JAMES J. Mc GINLEY ZWQW ATTORNEY Dec.-l5, 1953 J. J. M GINLEY 2,652,770

BOWLING BALL AND PIN HANDLING MECHANISM Filed May 9. 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 2 5 55 24 E 136' 24 r 68 [36 590 i .36 -15 a; 134 124/16 2 1; f8 I 62 n E u y 4a v ATTORNEY 1 J. J. MGGINLEY BOWLING BALL AND PIN HANDLING MECHANISM Filed May 9. 1947 4 SheetsSheet 3 INVENTOR JAMES J. Mc GINLEY BY ATTORNEY Dec. 15, 1953 J MCG|NLEY BOWLING BALL AND PIN HANDLING MECHANISM 4 SheetsSheet 4 Filed May 9, 1947 INVENTOR JAMES J. MC GINLEY B VAN,

A'I'I'ORNEY FIG. 6

Patented Dec. 15, 1953 BOWLING BALL AND PIN HANDLING MECHANISM James J. McGinley, Williston Park, N. Y., assignor to American Machine and Foundry Company, a corporation of New Jersey Application May 9, 1947, Serial N 0. 746,918

16 Claims.

This invention relates to automatic bowling pin setting machines and, more particularly, to mechanism for handling bowling balls and bowling pins.

In automatic pin setting machines, bowling balls and pins are discharged into an area commonly referred to as a pit. When bowling pins are pushed into such a pit, they sometimes, due to their shape and contour, become entangled. This is particularly true when the necks of the pins nest against each other. When a bowling ball lies against these tangled pins, it sometimes has a tendency to maintain them locked. In an automatic pin setting machine, it is necessary that the ball be rapidly separated from the pins so that they can all be quickly removed from the pit of the automatic pin setting machine.

In the past, there have been various devices developed for handling and separating bowling balls and bowling pins in an automatic pin setting machine. My invention is an improvement over these previous devices in that a single ball lifting roller is employed for separating the ball from the pins. This has the advantage that it can be operated rapidly and smoothly and, due to its simplicity in design, does not have any structure which will cause nested pins to be elevated with the bowling ball. Therefore, when the ball is elevated by the single bar, any nested pins will, due to lack of support, fall away from the ball. Thus no pins will be lifted along with the ball and a very reliable separation of pins and ball is effected.

A further advantage of my invention is that the ball lifting bar has been designed to travel up and down in a substantially straight path so that it operates smoothly at high speeds.

A further advantage of my invention is that I have provided a fiat hard supporting bed on top of the pin lifting apron so that bowling balls will readily roll to the back of the pit and, when the apron is elevated, the pins will readily slide off the board and apron because there is a minimum of friction holding the pins back and there is no sag in the apron.

Another advantage of my invention is that the portion of the pit apron which immediately adjoins the header board of the bowling alley has a vertical movement and then an inclined movement. Heretofore, this portion of the apron has been moved from the header board along an inclined path of travel. I have found that, by moving the apron first vertically and then at an incline, it does not push any pins which are lying close to the header board back on the alley but instead, due to the vertical movement, throws the pins on to the apron.

Another advantage is that this prevents any pins from falling under the apron when the apron is elevated.

A further advantage of my invention is that it not only avoids breakage and damage to pins and to the machine, but it also prevents pins from being returned to the pit by the bowling ball elevator by providing apparatus which will not cause them to become entangled with the bowling ball elevator.

Another advantage of my invention is that it provides a free sliding surface for bowling pins to permit them to slide into the pin receiving chamber of an automatic pin setting machine.

A further advantage of my invention is that I have provided a simple device which will start the ball moving toward the return runway at the same time that it is being raised out of the pit.

Another advantage of my invention is that I have provided ositive means for giving a ball momentum in the direction of the ball return while it is being raised vertically preliminary to its discharge upon a ball return runway.

Another advantage of my invention is that if my single bar ball lift should, for any reason, fail to elevate the bowling ball, the relatively thin flat member which coacts with the apron will elevate the ball from the pit and deliver it to the ball return runway.

Other objects and features of the invention will appear as the description of the particular physical embodiment selected to illustrate the invention progresses. In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, like characters of reference have been applied to corresponding parts throughout the several views which make up the drawings.

In the accompanying drawings: v

Fig. 1 is a sectional side elevation of the pit end of a bowling alley, illustrating an improved ball and pin lifting device and its mechanisms as used in connection with an automatic bowling pin setting machine;

Fig. 2 is a front view of the ball and pin lifting device as seen from line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a partial isometric view of the ball and pin engaging mechanism in the pit of a bowling alley;

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of a modified form of ball lifting device with means for tilting the same from a horizontal to an inclined position to move the ball toward a return runway during the ball lifting operation;

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of another modified form of ball lifting device in which, during the elevating operation, the ball is propelled in the 3 direction of the conventional ball return runway; and

Fig. 6 is an end elevation of Fig. 5 as seen from line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

The mechanism selected for purposes of illustrating the preferred form of the invention may be used in an automatic bowling pin setting machine of the same general construction and operation as that shown and described in Patent No. 2,388,707 issued to R. E. Rundell on November 13, 1945.

Referring to Figures 1, 2 and 3, the ball lifting device consists of a horizontal bar I which has an elongated roller I3 freely mounted thereon and also carries at each end a roller I2. While I have found that mounting a roller I3 on the bar I0 enables the ball to be readily rolled up the bumper or wall I38, there may be instances where this roller could be advantageously dispensed with and a member having a line contact with the bowling ball, such as the bar or ball support I0, could be used without a roller. The rollers I2 engage with vertical guide channels I4. The lower portion of each guide channel I4 is embedded in the inside wall of a kickback I'I, both of which form the side walls of the bowling alley pit P of a bowling alley A. The upper portions of the vertical channels I4 are suitably secured to the side frames I5 of the automatic bowling pin setting machine.

Each end of horizontal bar I0 is furthermore provided with a supporting lug I6 to each of which is secured one end of a cable I8 (Fig. 3). The other end of each cable I8 is secured to a pulley 24, both of which are fixedly mounted on shaft 26. Shaft 26 is supported by means of suitable bearings held by frames I5 (Fig. 2). Each cable I8 is furthermore guided by a pair of rollers 20 pivoted to a channel supporting bracket 22 attached to a frame I5. The guide rollers 20 guide the lower ends of cables I8 so a vertical pull is exerted on the roller I3 and the cables I8 are also guided onto their respective pulleys from a plane which is transverse to the direction of rotation of the pulleys.

A gear 23, fixedly mounted on shaft 26, is actuated by means of a reciprocating gear rack 30, the free extension of which is pivoted to a cam lever 36 carrying a cam roller 40 engaging with a cam track 42 of a, double cam 44 (Fig. 1). The double cam 44 is mounted on the main cam shaft 46 of the automatic bowling pin setting machine. Main cam shaft 46 is supported by suitable bearing brackets secured to frames [5. Cam lever 36 is loosely mounted on a horizontal shaft 38 (Figs. 1 and 2) held by a pair of suitable bearing brackets 39 secured to frames I5. To assure perfect engagement of gear rack 30 with gear 28, the former is guided by a roller 32 pivoted to the free end of a lug 34 loosely mounted on shaft 26.

The pin lifting device, generally designated 48, consists of an apron 49 made of canvas, rubber or other flexible material suitable for the purpose, and a board or plate 50. The front end of said apron is attached to a horizontal cross bar 52 carrying at its ends rollers 54 (Figs. 1 and 2). Each roller 54 engages with vertical and inclined guide channels 5'! and 56, all of I which are mounted in grooves on the inner sides of the kickbacks I1. The upper ends of said guide channels 55 are secured to frames I5 by means of brackets 64.

One end of each of cables 00 is attached to a lug 58 which is loosely connected to the end of cross bar 52. The other end of each cable is secured to a pulley 68 which is fixedly mounted on a horizontal shaft 10 supported by suitable bearings II (Fig. 2) attached to frames I5. Each cable 00 is guided by means of a guide pulley 66 and a pair of guide rollers 62. The guide rollers 82 guide the lower ends of cables 60 so that the force exerted on the roller 52 is in a vertical plane and the upper ends of the cables are guided from a plane which will cause the cables 00 to wind up on their respective pulleys. The guide rollers 62 are mounted in channel bracket. The guide pulleys 6B are mounted on a shaft 61 supported by suitable bearing brackets 69 (Fig. 1) attached to frames I5 of the machine. Shaft 10, carrying pulleys 60, also carries a gear '12 which is actuated by means of a reciprocating gear rack I4. The other end of gear rack I4 is pivotally connected to a cam lever 80. The latter, fulcrumed on shaft 33, carries a cam roller 82 engaging with a cam track 84 in double cam 44 mentioned heretofore. To assure perfect engagement of gear rack 14 with gear 12, the former is guided by a roller 15 pivotally mounted on the free end of a lug I8. The lug I8 is loosely mounted on shaft 10.

Keyed to one end of shaft 10 is a sprocket 86 which, by means of a chain 88, imparts turning motion to a sprocket 90 (Figs. 1 and 2). The sprocket 90 is secured to a horizontal shaft 8| on which is also mounted a roller 92. The rear end of apron 49 (Fig. 3) is secured to the roller 92 by means of a bar 94. From roller 92, the apron 40 drapes downward over a resiliently mounted backstop I33 (Fig. 3) which may be of the same nature and construction as the one shown in copending Patent Application No. 654,591 by Gustaf E. Hagquist filed March 15, 1946, now U. S. Patent 2,611,614 granted September 23, 1952, or that shown in U. S. Patent No. 2,293,018 granted to G. E. Hagquist on August 11, 1942. From said backstop, the apron then passes underneath the horizontal ball lifter bar I0 and covers the entire bottom of the pit P up to the front end of the pit where said apron is attached to the horizontal cross bar 52 described heretofore.

The bottom of the pit consists of a platform 95 which is attached at one end to a hinge 98. The hinge 98 is secured to a support I00 rigidly mounted on the front end of pit P. The free end of platform 96 is supported by and loosely rests on one or more stationary springs I02 (Fig. 1). Underneath the platform 96 is located a switch I04 which is normally open but, as soon as a bowling ball or pins come to rest on top of said platform, they cause a downward movement of the latter. This downward movement causes the switch to be closed and held closed until the weight resting on said platform is removed. A pair of wires I06 and I08 (Fig. 1) connects the switch I04 with a box I05 which contains the electrical control of the bowling machine. This electrical control may be similar in construction to that disclosed in U. S. Patent 2,559,274. granted to W. C. Broekhuysen, on July 3, 1951, to which further reference may be made if desired.

Two wires I 09 and II 0, emerging from said control box I05 lead to a solenoid I I2 secured to a cross member I I3 held by frames I5. An extension II4 of the solenoid armature engages with the slot of arm I I 6 pivotally supported by a suitable bracket II8 attached to said cross member l 53. Arm H6 is, furthermore, provided with a nose 12d which, when solenoid I I2 is not energized, projects into the path of a clutch operating member I 22, thereby depressing the same and causing a disengagement of clutch I24 mounted in the hub of a gear I34 loosely attached to a sleeve 933 (Fig. 2) which is an integral part of a sprocket 523 secured to a shaft I26. Clutch 526 is of the well known Bliss type with a member I22 protruding from said clutch.

Sprocket I23, by means of a chain I30, is driven continuously from any suitable source of power such as a motor or a main drive shaft (not shown). Gear I34 meshes with a gear I33 mounted on the main cam shaft 46 of the bowling machine. When solenoid H2 is energized, nose 530 of arm I i3 is moved out of the path of travel of clutch operating member E22 causing an engagement of the clutch I24 in the hub of gear I3 3 with the sleeve I33 of the continuously rotating sprocket I28 and thereby providing driving means for the main cam shaft 46 of the machine.

Fhe operation of my ball and pin handling apparatus may be briefly described as follows:

After a player has thrown a ball down the alley, it rolls into the pit onto the board 50 and apron dil together with such pins E as it may push along with it. As mentioned heretofore, the weight or" the ball D and pins E upon said platform 9E3 causes switch I04 to close which, in conjunction with the electrical control and timing apparatus in box m5, causes the energization of solenoid H2 thus starting rotation of the main cam shaft Alli.

In the meantime, due to the inclined position of platform 33, the ball D rolls on the board Eli toward the shock absorbing backstop or ball stop E38 of pit P and comes to rest between backstop or bumper I38 and the horizontal roller I3 (Figs. 1 and 3). Since the wall or stop I33 and the horizontal roller I3 are spaced from each other a distance greater than the radius and less than the diameter of the bowling ball, the wall i 38 will guide and support the bowling ball as it is elevated between the wall I33 and roller 13.

While I have placed the planar wall or stop I38 at the rear end of the pit P, a wall along the side boundary of the pit could be used instead of the wall I38. In this case, a suitable ball conveyor, such as the flat board 50, would be provided for directing the ball toward the wall located on the side boundary of the pit. Thereafter, the roller I3, coacting with the planar wall at the side of the pit, would raise the bowling ball in the manner described herein and dis charge the same onto the conveyor which returns the ball to the player.

The turning of the main cam shaft 46, through the heretofore mentioned cam lever 36, gear rack 3t and gear 28, effects a turning of pulleys 24, the rotation of which causes cables I8 to wind up and lift the roller I 3 mounted on the horizontal cross bar II) from the bottom of the pit as indicated with arrows in Fig. 3.

The ball D, supported between the roller I3 and the substantially flat vertical wall or backstop !38 is rolled upwardly, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. When the roller I3 passes the horizontal top level of apron roller 92, the ball leaves the roller I3 and rolls over said apron roller 92 onto a transverse ball return runway J. Runway J consists of two suitable guide rails Mt and M2 which extend across the full width of the rear of the alley and are so inclined that a ball deposited thereon will roll by gravity onto a conventional bowling ball conveyor or runway I43 (Fig. 2') which runs parallel to the alley and returns the ball to the player.

By employing only a single bar or roller I3 to lift a bowling ball, I have overcome the problem of bowling pins becoming entangled with the ball elevator. Since the space between the roller I3 and the cushion I38 is greater than the diameter of the thickest part of a bowling pin, bowling pins can fall on either side of the roller i3. When the roller I3 starts to rise, any pins lying on the roller I3 will fall on either side thereof and will not be raised and returned to the pit P by the ball elevator l3 when it descends as might happen if the pins remained. entangled with the elevator. This is true even when the necks of the pins are interlocked across the roller I3. Due to the simple straight substantially up and down movement of my ball elevator, it is capable of smooth and rapid operation.

Where other types of ball elevators have been employed, it is frequently necessary to give them some type of jogging movement to loosen entangled pins. It will, therefore, be evident that I have accomplished my objective of providing a ball lifting device which will be free from pins becoming entangled with the lifter and which will be smooth and rapid in operation.

If the bowling ball D, for any reason, should fail to roll over board up against the cushion I38, the board 53 coacting with the apron 49 would elevate the ball and deliver it to the return runway J at the same time that it discharges the pins E into the pin collecting chamber B. Due to the anti-sag arrangement mentioned herein, the ball will readily roll off the board Eli! onto the runway J when it is in its elevated position, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. l.

The ball is positively moved along the transverse runway rails Hit) and M2 by a continuously moving endless belt I44 onto the customary conventional ball return runway M3 (Fig. 2) which returns the ball to the player. In order to bring the center of gravity of the bowling ball over the center of the apron roller 92 and thereby facilitate the depositing of the ball onto runway J, the upper portion of each vertical guide channel it is provided with a suitable bend to achieve this object (Fig. l).

The mechanisms are timed in such a way that as soon as the cross bar 60 starts to carry ball D upwardly, cam 44 also starts actuatin the pulleys 63 which, upon turning, wind up cables til, the ends of which are attached to the horizontal cross bar or shaft 52 to which the front end of apron 49 is secured thus lifting the front end of the apron 49.

The bar 52, guided by rollers will first move vertically and parallel to the header board K of the bowling all y and then at an angle, as controlled by the guide channels 53 and 5?. By causing the end of the apron t9, secured to bar 52, to travel vertically, any bowling pins lying close to the header board K will be pushed into the pit P instead of being lifted back onto the alley A.

This feature of traveling vertically for a short distance immediately adjacent the header board K of the bowling alley also has the advantage that, if the pin should fail for some reason to fall into the pit P, the pin will be pushed back on the alley by the shaft 52 a distance sufficient to prevent it from falling into the pit P when the apron is in elevated pin discharging position H.

Since the shaft I actuating pulleys 68 also turns the sprocl-zet 86 which, in turn, rotates .the sprocket 90 and the apron roller .92, the rear end of apron 49 attached to said roller 92 is rolled up at the same time the bar 52 raises the front end or" the apron 49.

This causes all pins lying in pit P on board 53 and apron 49 to be lifted upwardly until the bar 52 reaches its uppermost position H indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. Due to'the angle the board 50 and apron 49 assume at that position, the pins slide downwardly through the ball runway J into a chamber B from which the pins are guided onto a pin elevator I 16. The latter conveys said pins upwardly into pin collecting and distributing mechanisms in a manner sim lar to that shown in U. S. Patent 2,559,274 granted to W. .C. Broelahuysen, mentioned herein. The pin elevator I46 is driven by a shaft I48 (Fig. 1) through a clutch IS!) in proper timed relation with the rest of the machine and, since this mechanism forms no part of the present invention, further description is deemed unnecessary.

The board 5G prevents the apron 59 from sagunder the weight of the pins and, when the board 533 and apron 49 have been elevated to their uppermost position, the pins quickly slide into the chamber B. It will thus be seen that I have provided a flat hard surface or bed on top of the apron which has the advantage of having a minimum of friction and thus not only assists the ball in rolling to the back of the pit but also enables the pins to readily slide oil the apron into the pin collecting chamber B.

Figure 4 shows a modified form of my invention wherein the ball lifting device consists of a roller I80 supported at each end by a ball stud I62. Each ball stud IE2 is freely mounted in a suitable ball socket of a lifter lug I64. Both of the ball studs I62 are loosely mounted in roller I63 thereby permitting the same to turn. The shank end of each of the studs I62 en ages with a light compression spring I65 confined in a hole I83. The shank of ball stud I62 is slidably mounted in the hole I68 and has an outward force exerted thereon by the compression spring I66. A cable Il't is attached at one end to each of the lifter lugs !64. The other ends of cables I'Ie are attached to pulleys I12 and I14 respectively. The pulleys I12 and I14 are mounted on an oscillating shaft I16 shown in Fig. 4 which is actuated in the same manner as shaft 26.

Due to the difference in the diameters of pulleys I12 and I74, one end of the lifter bar or roller I68 will ascend faster than the other end.

This effects a tilting of said lifter roller which, in turn, causes the lifted ball to be propelled toward the side runway of the alley, as shown in dotted lines in 4. The lifter lugs I64 are provided with rollers IE1 which engage with vertical guide channels I18 in a manner similar to that shown in Fig. 1.

By tilting the roller I68 in the manner described, it causes the bowling ball to move in the direction of the side return runway. When the ball is finally discharged on the transverse runway J, shown in Figs. 1 and 2, it will have a rotation in the direction in which the belt I44 will push the ball. This reduces wear both on the ball and on the belt I44.

Another advantage of this modification is that there will be no blind areas where there are no effective means for propelling the ball toward the ball return runway. If the ball is at the side of the alley when it is elevated, it will roll upwardly along the side wall of the pit as well as the rear cushion and thus will receive a rotary movement which will assist in throwing it onto the runway.

The ball lifter roller I80, in the modification shown in Figs. 5 and 6, is freely rotatable on a pair of studs I82. Eachof the studs I82 is held by a lifter lug I84 and i855 respectively. To the protruding end of each stud is secured a guide shoe I88 engaging with a vertical guide channel I90. One end of each of the cables I92 is secured to a lifter lug 843 or I86. The other ends of cables I92 are fastened to suitable pulleys (not shown) similar to those shown in Fig. 1. These pulleys are mounted for oscillating movement on a shaft similar to shaft 26, shown in Fig. 1, in order to eficct an up and down movement of the ball lifter roller I80.

The lifter roller carries a ball pusher arm I94, the hub of which is slidably mounted on said roller I80. To maintain arm I94 in upright position at all times, the hub of the same slidably engages with a horizontal guide rod I96 which is rigidly supported at its ends by the lifter lugs I84 and I86. The latter, at its lower portion, is provided with an ear I98 which carries a roller 200 (Fig. 5) and a guide pin 202. Lifter lug I84 is also provided with an car 204 which also carries a roller 266 and a guide pin 208.

A cable 2M, anchored by means of a hook 2I2 to one or" the guide channels I90, engages with the roller 2% and pin 2&8 on lug I84 and also with roller 2 9 and pin 202 on lug I86. The other end of said cable 2I0 is secured to a post 2M attached to the opposite guide channel I (Fig. 5). The hub of the ball pusher arm I at its lower portion is provided with a lug 2I6 carrying a stud 2 I3 to which the cable 2I0 is also fastened.

The upward movement of lugs I84 and I86 lifts the ball lifter roller I80. When the ball lifter roller I86 ascends, the pusher arm I94 travels across the roller I59 due to the cable connections just described. Upon contacting a bowling ball supported on and being elevated by the roller 80, it will push the ball along the roller I80 in the direction of the conventional ball return runway I43 shown in Fig. 2.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a device which Will move the ball toward the side return runway as it is being elevated out of the pit and before it is delivered to the transverse runway. This not only expedites the return of the ball to the player but also reduces wear on the ball D and belt I 44 because the ball has received a preliminary turning movement by the time the ball engages with the belt I. Another advantage of the pusher arm I94 is that positive means are provided for propelling the ball which will prevent the ball from becoming stalled at any particular location and which will return the ball to the player as quickly as possible.

The invention above described may be varied in construction within the scope of the claims, for the particular device selected to illustrate the invention is but one of many possible embodiments of the same. The invention, therefore, is not to be restricted to the precise details of the structure shown and described.

What is claimed is:

1. In a bowling pin setting machine having a ball stop and a pit for collecting bowling balls and pins, an apron positioned in front of said ball stop and at the bottom of the pin and ball collecting pit, a rigid flat member extending over and across the portion of said apron at the bottom of said pit, and elevating mechanism for raising said apron and rigid fiat member up from said pi to a delivery station to dump bowling pins resting on said rigid flat member and apron into a collecting chamber.

2. In an automatic pin setting machine for a bowling alley having a pit at one end for collecting bowling balls and pins discharged from the bowling alley, an apron a portion of which is positioned across the bottom of said pit, a thin flat board positioned over the portion of said apron positioned across the bottom of said pit for receiving pins from said alley, a pair of upwardly extending guides having a vertical portion immediately adjacent and on either end of the header board of the bowling alley, a horizontal bar extending across said pit adapted and arranged to be guided by said guides, and means securing said apron and thin fiat member at one end to said bar and elevating mechanism for lifting said thin flat member and apron with the pins laying thereon above said pit to discharge the pins therefrom into a pin collecting chamber.

3. In a bowling machine for use on a bowling alley, a pit into which fallen pins and bowling balls are discharged and an apron extending across the bottom of said pit, a pair of guides positioned on either side of said alley adjacent the header board of the bowling alley, said guides having a vertical portion adjoining said header board and an inclined portion connected to said vertical portion; an elongated horizontal apron support to which said apron is secured at one end, guide members formed on the ends of said horizontal apron support to track in said guides, and mechanism for elevating said support to cause said guide members to move said support first vertically adjacent said alley to cause any pins laying closely adjacent thereto to be pushed back into said pit and to elevate the pins laying on the apron for discharge into a pin collecting chamber.

4. In a machine for setting and resetting bowling pins on a bowling alley, a device for returning a bowling ball to a player comprising, a first ball return runway, a second ball return runway transversely positioned with respect to the first named ball return runway for receiving balls therefrom and returning the same to the player, a substantially flat wall positioned at the rear end of the bowling alley, a horizontal elongated freely rotatable roller spaced from said fiat wall at a distance greater than the radius and less than the diameter of a bowling ball for elevating bowling balls between said roller and said substantially flat wall and discharging said balls onto first ball return runway, said roller being long enough to permit a ball to roll along the length thereof, guides for maintaining said roller at a predetermined distance from said flat wall while it lowered or raised, and mechanism for raising one end of the roller at a faster rate than the other end to cause a bowling ball to simultaneously travel in a horizontal di rection toward the second ball return runwas while being raised vertically toward the first named ball return runway.

5. Automatic pin and ball handling mechanism for a bowling alley having a pit into which bowling pins and bowling balls are discharged comprising, a header board at the end of the alley adjacent said pit, a pin handling member positioned across the floor of said pit, a device for moving that portion of said pin handling member immediately adjacent said header board in a straight vertical direction to a level higher than the surface of said alley to cause pins lying adjacent the header board to fall into the pit, and mechanism for raising and moving said pin handling member toward the back end of the alley to discharge pins into a pin collecting chamber.

6. In a bowling alley having a ball return runway positioned along one side of the bowling alley, a transverse ball return runway positioned at the far end of the alley adapted and arranged to deliver bowling balls to the first named runway, a vertical wall associated with said transverse runway, a single bar spaced from said vertical wall for elevating bowling balls between said bar and said wall to deliver the ball to said transverse ball return runway, and mechanism for imparting movement to the bowling ball in the direction of the first named ball return runway as it is being elevated in the direction of the transverse ball return runway by said single 'bar.

'7. Apparatus for lifting a bowling ball out of the pit of a bowling alley and returning the same to the player comprising, a member having a flat surface positioned on one boundary of the pit, an elongated roller cooperating with the surface of said member to raise a bowling ball therebetween out of the pit, a pusher for moving a bowling ball horizontally along the length of said roller as it is elevated to impart horizontal momentum to the bowling ball, and a ball return runway for receiving a bowling ball elevated out of said pit by said roller without interrupting the movement of the ball imparted by said pusher.

8. In a bowling pin setting machine having a pit into which bowling balls and pins are discharged, an apron extending across the back of the pit and having the lower end thereof positioned across the bottom of said pit, mechanism for raising said apron from the pit to discharge bowling pins and bowling balls supported by said apron at a discharge station, and a relatively thin inflexible member positioned on top of said apron to maintain the apron free from sagging under the weight of bowling pins and balls supported by the apron and the thin inflexible member and thus permit the pins and balls to readily slide and roll toward a ball and pin separator located at said discharge station.

9. In a bowling pin setting machine for a bowling alley having a pin and ball collecting pit, pin and ball handling mechanism for removing bowling balls and pins from said pit comprising, a vertical ball stop spaced from the header board of the bowling alley; a pair of guides having a vertical portion positioned on either side of the pit, the vertical portion being arranged immediately adjacent the header board of said alley, a horizontal bar having either end movably connected to said guides, an apron consisting of a thin flexible sheet extending over said ball stop and across the floor of said pit connected at one end to said horizontal bar, a roller supporting the other end of said apron, a second pair of guides spaced from said vertical ball stop and positioned on each side of said pit, an elongated member guided at each end by said second set of guides for elevating a bowling ball between said elongated member and said vertical ball stop, a flat plate extending across the top of said apron to facilitate balls in said pit rolling into ball lifting position on said elongated member, and mechanism for elevating said elongated member to raise a bowling ball between said elongated member and said ball stop and for elevating said apron by means of said horizontal bar and roller to remove bowling pins and bowling balls from said pit.

10. Automatic ball return apparatus for use with a bowling alley having a pit into which bowling pins and balls are discharged and a ball return runway for returning a bowling ball to a player, comprising a fiat substantially vertical wall positioned to form one boundary of the pit, a bar spaced from said wall for movement along a predetermined path of travel parallel to said wall, a lifter for imparting up and down movement to said bar to elevate a bowling ball between said wall and bar, and a pusher associated with said bar for moving a ball along said bar as the ball is elevated to impart momentum to the bowling ball in a direction along the length of the runway onto which the ball is discharged without interrupting the movement thereof.

11. In a bowling alley having a ball return runway for returning bowling balls to the player from the rear end of the bowling alley, mechanical apparatus for delivering the bowling ball to the ball return runway comprising, an elongated ball lifting device positioned at the rear end of the alley and arranged for movement along a a predetermined path of travel, a lifter for raising and lowering said device between a ball receiving and a ball discharge position, and mechanism associated with said lifter for mechanically pushing a bowling ball along the length of said elongated ball lifting device as it is elevated to impart horizontal momentum to the bowling ball to hasten its return to a player along the ball return runway onto which it is discharged without interrupting the movement thereof.

12. Mechanism for removing bowling balls from the pit of a bowling alley comprising, a single substantially transverse bowling ball lift, a bumper located at the rear end of said pit, said bumper having a ball striking and supporting surface, a ball return conveyor mounted above said bumper for receiving bowling balls, a lifting device for moving said lift upwardly from said pit in front of said bumper to discharge a ball supported between said lift and bumper onto said conveyor, and means operative during said upward movement of said lift for simultaneously pushing said ball horizontally along said lift onto said ball return conveyor.

13. Automatic apparatus for separating a bowling ball from bowling pins and removing the ball and pins from the pit of a bowling alley comprising, a planar wall positioned along one side of the pit of the bowling alley, a ball return run- Way for returning a bowling ball to a player, an elongated ball elevating bar spaced from said planar wall a distance greater than the radius and less than the diameter of a bowling ball for pushing a bowling ball up against and along the side of said planar member onto said ball return runway, a thin member having a rigid surface extending across the pit of the bowling alley to provide a hard surface for the bowling ball to roll across the pit towards said planar member and bar, mechanism for raising and lowering said elongated bar to elevate bowling balls so delivered to said ball lifting bar, and a mechanism for raising said thin member to raise bowling pins upwardly following the elevation of a bowling ball by said bar to allow said pins to slide on said thin member into a suitable pin collector.

14. In a bowling alley having a ball return runway for returning bowling balls to the player from the rear end of the bowling alley, mechanical apparatus for raising a ball out of the bowling alley pit and discharging the same onto the ball return runway comprising, a planar member forming one boundary of the pit and extending over a major portion of said pit bound-- ary, means for preventing substantial swinging movement of said planar member, a device for directing the ball to the planar member, a ball elevator consisting of a single, elongated bar having a length at least equal to the diameters of two adjacent bowling balls arranged for movement along a predetermined path of travel at a distance from said member, and a lifter imparting up and down movement to said single bar to roll a bowling ball up said member by means of said single elongated bar to the ball return runway onto which said ball is discl'iarged.

15. Apparatus for lifting bowling balls out of the pit of a bowling alley and returning the same to the player comprising, a ball guiding device for guiding a rolling bowling ball from the rear end of the alley to a player, a pit at the rear end of the alley into which a thrown ball and fallen pins are discharged, a member having a flat surface positioned across the entire side of said pit and connecting the bottom of the pit with the ball guiding device, and a single elongated roller extending across the entire flat surface and spaced from said flat surface a distance greater than the radius and less than the diameter of a bowling ball, and mechanism for raising said roller to elevate a bowling ball between said roller and said flat member to deliver the ball to said ball guiding device for return to the player.

16. In an automatic bowling pin setting machine having a pit into which bowling balls and fallen pins are discharged, apparatus for elevating a bowling ball from the pit comprising, a vertical stationary wall extending across an entire side of the pit, a horizontal, elongated rollcr having a ball contacting surface of a length at least equal to the diameters of a plurality of adjacent bowling balls and spaced from said wall at a distance less than the diameter and greater than the radius of a bowling ball, vertical guides for confining said horizonttal member to a predetermined path of travel, and a lifting device for moving said member upwardly to elevate a bowling ball between said member and said wall.

JAMES J. MCGINLEY.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,097,687 Stevens May 26, 1914 1,181,649 Downey' May 2, 1916 1,375,835 Fairchild Apr. 26, 1921 1,573,643 Proch Feb. 16, 1926 1,590,124 Roble June 22, 1926 2,293,018 Hagquist Aug. 11, 1942 2,293,965 Berg Aug. 1942 2,389,643 Schmidt n, Nov. 27, 1945 2,470,052 Rundell et al. May 10, 1949 2,611,614 Hagquist Sept, 23, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 170,394 Germany May 7, 1906 

